Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/832383
104 / the tasting panel / june 2017 104 / the tasting panel / june 2017 CATEGORY REPORT Rum Gets Its Long Overdue Time in e Spotlight aissance Long aissance Rum- "Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum! Drink and the devil had done for the rest— Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!" —Treasure Island by Robert Louis Steveson For centuries, rum has belonged to the sea. With its beginnings rooted in the Caribbean, it quickly became the spirit of pirates and the British Royal Navy, but soon found itself confined to tropical resorts and vacations. Fortunately for us, bartenders have brought this spirit back from the depths of the Bermuda Triangle and led it back onto land, especially in the U.S. The modern tiki revival—led by people like Martin Cate (see page 42 for more on Cate)—has breathed new life into rum, but it doesn't just stop at Painkillers and Mai Tais; rum is being incorporated into beverage programs without the umbrellas or the Hawaiian shirts. On-premise buyers are looking for quality rums—ones that express terroir and have an intriguing tale to tell—to offer their guests. We searched the seas to find a booty of rums that are too good not to share.